Guard.



No. 675,399. Patented lune 4,'I90I.

. A. E. MCCORMACK.

GUARD.

(Application led Feb. 25, 1901.)

(No Model.)

IIIH

@Aiforneys ALFRED EDWARD MCCORMACK, CF LACHINE, CANADA.

GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,399, dated June 4, 1901. Application filed February 25, 1301. Serial No. 48,821. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that 1, ALFRED EDWARD Mc- CORMAOK, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain, residing atKLachine, county of Jacques Cartier, Province of Quebec, `Canada, have invented certain new and Vuseful Improvementsin Guards; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a guard adapted for use within a doorway or a window and especially intended for service as a means for conning children within a room or other place of inclosure, whereby a child is prevented from falling down a door-step or out of a window.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which is adapted to be easily and quickly adjusted anil clamped within or between the opposing sides 0f a door-frame or the vcorresponding sides of a Window, to provide means which` are extensible with a barrier in order to render the improved guard applicable to doors or windows which may vary in Width, and, finally, to render an efficient clamping mechanism which will not mar or deface the window or door.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combination of devices and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings hereto annexed, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my door or window guard, showing the same extended for use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the guard in its collapsed or folded position. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation in the plane of the dotted line 4` 4 on Fig. 2, taken through the extensible clamping mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section in the plane of the dotted line 5 5 on Fig. 1.

The same numerals of reference denote like parts in each figure of the drawings.

The barrier of the improved door or window guard is preferably embodied in the form of a lazy-tongs gate, the same being indicated in its entirety by the numeral 5 and consisting of aplurality of crossing members which are pivotally connected together at their points of intersection and at the ends thereof in a manner well understood by those familiar with the construction of gates. pose of conveniently designating this barrier I will hereinafter refer to the same as a gate or a lazy-tongs gate; but it will be understood that I do not restrict myself to any particular construction or material in the manufacture of this part of the invention. With this lazy-tongs gate I have associated or combined an extensible clamping mechanism which is adapted to frictionally hold the entire guard securely in place within a doorway or window and in a manner to entirely avoid defacing the surfaces of these parts. This clamping mechanism consists of the companion posts or parallel members 6 7 and an intermediate extensible bar having its members pivotally connected with the clamping-posts and extensibly and pivotally connected one with the other, as I will now proceed to describe. Cn the opposing faces of the two clamping-posts 6 7 are secured the brackets or plates 8 9, respectively, and to the bracket 8 is pivotally connected one end of the bar member 10, said pivot being indicated bythe numeral 11 and passing through the bracket 8 and a metallic tip 12, which is firmly secured to the bar member 10. (See Figs. 2 and 4.) The other bar member 13 consists of two parallel strips or lengths of material which are secured firmly together at one end by means of a clasp 14, the other ends of said strips or lengths forming the bar member 13 being firmly attached together by bolts 15, which also serve to secure ashort piece 16, the latter having the metallic tip 17. This metallic tip is loosely fitted in the bracket 9 of the post 7, and it is pivoted thereto by means of the pin 18.'` From this description it will be seen that one member lO of the extension-bar is pivoted to the clamping-post 6, while the other member 13 of said extension-bark is pivoted to the other clamping-post 7. These members of the extensionbar span the space between the clampingposts 6 7, and the aggregate length of the bar members 10 13 greatly exceeds the normal or average distance between the clamping-posts,

For the purwhereby the extension-bar is adapted to forcibly press the clamping-posts 6 7 against the opposing sides of a door or window. The member 10 of the extension-bar is provided with a longitudinal slot 19, said slotted portion of the bar member 10 fitting loosely between the parallel lengths or strips and within the clasp 11, forming the companion bar member 13. A bindingscrew 2O passes through the bar member 13 and through the slot 19 of the bar member 10, and this screw receives the winged thumb-nut 21, the same adapted to be tightened against the bar member 13 for the purpose of drawing the two members 10 13 firmly together. From this description it is obvious that the bar members 10 13 are connected together in such a way as -to be extended lengthwise and to break or fold in an upward direction when releasing the gate and folding the entire guard to the collapsed position represented by Fig. 3; but it is desired to remark that the clamping-screw 2O is adapted to serve as a pivot to connect the bar members 10 13 with each other when the guard is adjusted in a door or window and in order that the two bar members 10 13 may lie at an angle to each other previous to straightening the bar in order to force the clamping-posts 6 7 tightly against the door or window.

Each post 6 or 7 is provided at its outer edge with a facing 22, of any suitable friction material-such as rubber, leather, or any other substance-the same adapted to be secured over the entire outer edge of each post. These facings prevent the posts from marring or defacing the finished surfaces of a doorjamb or window, and they also increase the frictional contact between the posts and the surfaces against which said posts impinge.

The posts forming operative elements of tho clamping mechanism are connected with the end portions of the lazy-tongs gate in order that the clamping mechanism may be collapsible and extensible with the gate itself, and I prefer to employ the following construction as the means for operatively connecting said posts with the members of the gate. Each pestis provided at its inner face with a longitudinal channel and with -a similar groov 2i. A batten 25 is firmly attached to the posts, so as to assist in closing one side of the channel 23, and this batten has a longitudinal groove 2G, which is in opposing relation to the groove 21 of the post, all as clearly shown by Fig. 5. The portions of the gate members at the ends of the latter extend into the channel 23 of the post, as shown by Fig. 5, and the pivot-pins 27 ofsaid gate members are arranged to travel in the grooves 21 2G of the post and its batten,where by the gate members may have alimited relative movement to the clamping-post in extending or collapsing the gate, and the gate and the clamping-posts are operatively retained together.

In using the improved guard in a door the posts are drawn apart, and the gate is thereby extended in order that the structure may be placed between the opposing sides of the door, the friction-facings 22 of the clampingposts binding against the door-jamb. In thus adjusting the gate and the posts the members 10 13 of the extension-bar are drawn apart and are thrown in an upward direction, so that the two members assumeinclined positions relative to each other. The screw 2O may now be tightened by adjustment of the nut 21 in a manner to prevent the members 10 13 from sliding one upon the other, and the operator now presses down upon the extensible bar, so as to straight-en out the members 10 13 and bring them in alinement with each other, whereby the posts G 7 will be so forcibly pressed against the door or window as to frictionally hold the entire guard in place within said door or window. To remove the gate, it is only necessary for the operator to press upwardly on the members of the extensionbar, so as to make them assume the inclined positions, and this operation withdraws the posts 6 7 from engagement with the door and allows the lazy-tongs gate to be collapsed, if necessary, to the compact position shown by Fig. 3. It is evident that the improved guard when removed from a dooror window maybe folded within a narrow compass, thus reuirinnr a minimum amount of s ace for its' storage.

The improved device is very simple and durable in construction, can be manufactured at a low cost, and is very efficient and reliable in operation.

Changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts, While their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention is embodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

I'Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. A door or window guard comprising an extensible gate, and a clamping mechanism having posts or members operatively connected with end portions of said gate, said clamping mechanism also having a jointed memberl arranged to forcibly press the clamping posts or members away from each other,as set forth.

2. In a door or window guard, the combination with an extensible gate, of a clamping mechanism therefor comprising posts operatively connected with end portions of the gate and adapted to frictionally engage with a door or window, and an intermediate jointed bar having its members connected with said posts, substantially as described.

3. In a door or window guard, the combination of a lazy-tongs gate, the clamping-posts loosely connected to opposite end portions of said gate and having their working faces equipped with frictional linings, and a tw0- part clamp having its members pivoted to the ICO posts and connected one with the other by an intermediate binder, substantially as described.

4. In a door or window guard, the combination with an eXtensible gate, of a clamping mechanism comprising posts operatively connected with end portionsof said gate, and an intermediate sectional bar havingit-s members pivoted to the posts and extensibly coupled thereto, substantially as described.

5. In a door or Window guard, the combination with an extensible gate, of a clamping mechanism therefor comprising posts operatively connected with end portions of said gate, a bar member pivoted to one post and provided with a longitudinal slot, another bar member pivoted to the otherpost and arranged to slidably receive the first-mentioned bar (se c member, and a clamping-bolt connected with both of the bar members, substantially as described.

6. In a door or Window guard, the combination of clamping-posts having longitudinal Ways or guides, a lazy-tongs gate connected slidably at its end portions with said posts, and a pressure device disposed between the posts and operatively connected thereto and adapted to forcibly impel said posts away from each other, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALFRED EDWARD MCCORMACK.

Witnesses:

PETER BROCKIE, E. SCHETAGNE. 

